Need a primer on time travel? Look no further than The Man Who Folded Himself. In this novel, Gerrold examines all aspects of time travel and what it would mean to have control over the time stream, all in less than 130 pages (and that includes the afterword!). In a word, it’s remarkable.

Gerrold also tells a tale of vulnerability, as Dan (or Don, or Daniel, or Danny, or whomever) examines his own loneliness over decades of travel through time. It’s told in an almost flippant style, but don’t assume this will be a glib look into the character doing the time travel. To tell anything more would be to spoil the novel, but rest assured that it’s worth the read.

This is a reprint of the original edition, and it includes a foreword that contains a mild spoiler. It seems more and more classics are doing this, under the assumption that the reader has already read the book, and I need to get out of the habit of doing so. Also, the book has been updated with some more modern references than it contained in its original publication in 1972, and that always bugs me. I’d prefer to read the original text. On the bright side, this is a novel I will likely read again, so when I do, I’ll track down an earlier release to see how much they differ.

For a good story, and a good time travel handbook, start with The Man Who Folded Himself. Fans of science fiction have probably already read it, but readers coming late to the genre, like me, may have overlooked it, and that would be a shame. If this book isn’t listed among other classics like The Stars My Destination or Gateway, then it should be.

"'I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.'"